Pierluigi Paganini July 15, 2020

The United States applauded the UK’s decision to ban equipment from China’s Huawei telecoms giant from its 5G network.

Last week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced its decision to phase out the use of network equipment manufactured by the Chinese tech giant Huawei in the UK’s 5G network as little as six months.

“We welcome news that the United Kingdom plans to ban Huawei from future 5G networks and phase out untrusted Huawei equipment from existing networks,” reads a statement from the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

“We will continue to work with our British friends on fostering a secure and vibrant 5G ecosystem, which is critical to transatlantic security and prosperity.”

The decision comes after a new UK intelligence agency GCHQ’s report raised new security concerns over Huawei 5G equipment. The UK intelligence analysis believe that US ban on Chinese 5G technology will force Huawei to use untrusted technology.

The British ban, which came despite warnings of retaliation by Beijing, handed a victory to US President Donald Trump’s administration, which has been seeking to isolate the Chinese telecom titan.

According to Trump’s national security advisor, Robert O’Brien, the decision of the UK government demonstrates a “growing international consensus” that Chinese firms like Huawei and ZTE “pose a threat to national security.”

In January the EU’s executive Commission presented a set of rules and technical measures aimed at reducing cybersecurity risks from the adoption of 5G networks. The Commission’s recommendations include blocking high-risk equipment suppliers from “critical and sensitive” components of 5G infrastructures, such as the core.

Pompeo also highlighted that the decision to exclude Chinese equipment from 5G networks was already adopted in a number of European states.

Other states worldwide are already replacing Chinese equipment, including Australia, India, Japan and South Korea.

“Countries need to be able to trust that 5G equipment and software will not threaten national security, economic security, privacy, intellectual property or human rights,” Pompeo said.

Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – hacking, Huawei)

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